About me

PROFILE:

I have been writing poetry and stories since I was a child, and a love of reading was instilled in me from an early age. I am passionate about writing, and hope you enjoy the books I have written. Whilst most of you sleep soundly in your beds, like many Parkinson’s patients, insomnia dictates, so during those hours that sleep eludes me, the house is tranquil and quiet, an atmosphere perfect to immerse myself in writing. My life has been a series of strange events, which have without doubt contributed to my creativity. To publish anything is to bear one’s soul to the world. It is to stand naked and let everyone see who you really are. I have poured my heart and soul out on paper and I hope to share this journey, immersing you in a story, capturing your attention and firing the imagination. Through my writing and public speaking I hope to bring greater awareness to the general public about living with chronic disease.

Friday, February 12, 2016

System Shutting Down

Having difficulty in
typing, family and friends have been helping me out. So it may not be my fingers
on the keys now days, but these are still my thoughts, my words and my personal
experience that I’m sharing with you. If the reality of what I’m living with is
too hard for you to digest, I don’t blame you for not reading on. Why am I
writing in such a brutally honest manner? It certainly isn’t to upset or
frighten any fellow sufferer. My hope is to reach the powers that be, those in
R&D or running clinical trials, scientists, doctors and medical students. I
want there to be a greater understanding of what it really means to suffer with
Parkinson’s disease.

As if living with
Gaucher and Parkinson’s disease isn’t enough excitement for this household,
throw into the mix a slipped disk and you may have a recipe for disaster. A
golden rule regarding a slipped disk, is bed-rest. A slipped disk usually entails
not being able to stand, walk or even sit, the only remaining option is lying
down in bed. After a lot of painful slow squirming, finding a position that is
relatively pain free, with pillows strategically positioned, anyone in their
right mind would be extremely reluctant to move. However having Parkinson’s,
remaining still in bed proves to be a tall order.

So here lies the
problem; Gaucher disease, making joints and bones painful, a slipped disk that
requires bed-rest and little or no movement, and lastly but by no means least,
Parkinson’s, with a myriad of symptoms that exacerbate and delay the recovery
of a slipped disk. To allow my back to heal, lying in bed several days, being
immobile is like giving Parkinson’s the green light to go ahead, which is all
it needs to drag anyone it can, down a slippery path at an alarming speed.

The human body is
like a finely tuned machine and nothing short of miraculous in design, so long
as one remains healthy. Unfortunately, when serious health issues arise, the
delicate balance is upset, which can begin a chain reaction of sorts, sending everything
out of whack.This is where the
human spirit, strength of character, determination or sheer stubbornness,
whatever you may wish to call it, is put to the test, for I believe this is
what keeps me from giving up and shutting down.

Some years ago, my
voice was recorded with the purpose of being used for a mannequin attached to an
ultrasound simulator teaching aid. I had to read several prepared sentences, one of which seems highly inappropriate regarding my situation today. So
should you ever be in a medical training facility and hear a woman’s voice with
a strong British accent coming out of an ultrasound simulator saying: “system
shutting down”, yes, that’ll be me!